pcm wrote:Shero committed to Letang being our #1 defenseman. That means we can't afford a $5m #2 guy. Cap world. Just living in it.

(Of course this isn't needed till next year)

With how contracts are being paid out, $5 mil is about what a #2 guy is paid. As long as the cap keeps going up, then there will be no reason to not be able to keep Martin throughout the rest of his contract.

pcm wrote:Shero committed to Letang being our #1 defenseman. That means we can't afford a $5m #2 guy. Cap world. Just living in it.

(Of course this isn't needed till next year)

With how contracts are being paid out, $5 mil is about what a #2 guy is paid. As long as the cap keeps going up, then there will be no reason to not be able to keep Martin throughout the rest of his contract.

Malkin and Letang's raises will probably cover the cap increase for next year.

pcm wrote:Shero committed to Letang being our #1 defenseman. That means we can't afford a $5m #2 guy. Cap world. Just living in it.

(Of course this isn't needed till next year)

With how contracts are being paid out, $5 mil is about what a #2 guy is paid. As long as the cap keeps going up, then there will be no reason to not be able to keep Martin throughout the rest of his contract.

Malkin and Letang's raises will probably cover the cap increase for next year.

The issue that they could really run into is that Despres is a RFA after this season. If he progresses this season, they may be in a position where they need to give him a contract like Letang's second contract, which was something like $3.5 million for four years. That probably makes it such that they won't be able to keep both of Martin and Orpik around after this season. The goaltending situation could be a big factor in that as well. This is probably make or break for Fleury and I doubt they will want to continue having to spend $2 million on a back-up to Fleury if he does stick around.

pcm wrote:Shero committed to Letang being our #1 defenseman. That means we can't afford a $5m #2 guy. Cap world. Just living in it.

(Of course this isn't needed till next year)

With how contracts are being paid out, $5 mil is about what a #2 guy is paid. As long as the cap keeps going up, then there will be no reason to not be able to keep Martin throughout the rest of his contract.

Malkin and Letang's raises will probably cover the cap increase for next year.

The issue that they could really run into is that Despres is a RFA after this season. If he progresses this season, they may be in a position where they need to give him a contract like Letang's second contract, which was something like $3.5 million for four years. That probably makes it such that they won't be able to keep both of Martin and Orpik around after this season. The goaltending situation could be a big factor in that as well. This is probably make or break for Fleury and I doubt they will want to continue having to spend $2 million on a back-up to Fleury if he does stick around.

Hate to say it but don't you think that is why they can't play despres and bennett straight up?

pcm wrote:Shero committed to Letang being our #1 defenseman. That means we can't afford a $5m #2 guy. Cap world. Just living in it.

(Of course this isn't needed till next year)

With how contracts are being paid out, $5 mil is about what a #2 guy is paid. As long as the cap keeps going up, then there will be no reason to not be able to keep Martin throughout the rest of his contract.

Malkin and Letang's raises will probably cover the cap increase for next year.

The issue that they could really run into is that Despres is a RFA after this season. If he progresses this season, they may be in a position where they need to give him a contract like Letang's second contract, which was something like $3.5 million for four years. That probably makes it such that they won't be able to keep both of Martin and Orpik around after this season. The goaltending situation could be a big factor in that as well. This is probably make or break for Fleury and I doubt they will want to continue having to spend $2 million on a back-up to Fleury if he does stick around.

Thanks HH, I didn't realize Despres's status next year. If he progresses a lot, he may have to get more than we will have. More headaches for Shero.

The cap is going to jump significantly due to the added revenue from the 47 outdoor games. If I find out that the Pens don't play Bennett and Despres to keep their value down on their next contracts, I will cease being a Pens fan until management changes over. That won't happen though.

Niskanen's and Jokinen's contracts stick out for me. Niskanen is obvious I think, not sure how Jokinen fits on this team if (IF) everyone is healthy. He gives them some depth as a skilled forward, but not sure they can carry him on a third line.

There's no way that Shero could have matched Cooke's offer, but if we're swapping Cooke out for Jokinen on that line, the team is much worse.

After looking at the moves Shero has made so far, I'm really not sure that we are not looking at another good regular season and die quickly in the playoffs. All I really see is switch Scuds for Cooke and virtually everything else is the same.

GSdrums87 wrote:Just don't get how people don't see the value in a guy like Jokinen. Pick a spot in the 12 forward positions...he can play there.

I think his play has pretty effectively shown that to be incorrect.

I haven't seen him play much beyond his time here (and that game where he scored the game winner against Brodeur a few years back), but looking at his stats and what we've seen in the last two months in Pittsburgh, I see him as a great face off guy, but a streaky scorer. He seemed a bit out of place in the playoffs, though (a little slow). We'll see how he does over 82 games...

PAPLine wrote:After looking at the moves Shero has made so far, I'm really not sure that we are not looking at another good regular season and die quickly in the playoffs. All I really see is switch Scuds for Cooke and virtually everything else is the same.

GSdrums87 wrote:Just don't get how people don't see the value in a guy like Jokinen. Pick a spot in the 12 forward positions...he can play there.

I think his play has pretty effectively shown that to be incorrect.

I can't speak for the future, but based on the Pens injury history, he'll be seeing top 6 time this season, where he will thrive. Until then he's a good PK, faceoff, shootout guy, and serviceable on the wing. He's got the skillset to contribute on the scoreboard, he just needs to play to the role given to him at the time.

WHITEY1 wrote:So if Bennett plays LW on Geno's line and after a week or 2 Jagr is still out there and says he will do the "Mario Discount" and will play 3rd line RW would you want him back for say $1,000,000/

lol, Jagr won't play anywhere at a discount. He'll head back to the KHL and make top coin there before playing for peanuts in the NHL. He's a mercenary - plain and simple. There is no loyalty to the game, a team or to the NHL for Jagr. He's all about the cash.

WHITEY1 wrote:So if Bennett plays LW on Geno's line and after a week or 2 Jagr is still out there and says he will do the "Mario Discount" and will play 3rd line RW would you want him back for say $1,000,000/

WHITEY1 wrote:So if Bennett plays LW on Geno's line and after a week or 2 Jagr is still out there and says he will do the "Mario Discount" and will play 3rd line RW would you want him back for say $1,000,000/

lol, Jagr won't play anywhere at a discount. He'll head back to the KHL and make top coin there before playing for peanuts in the NHL. He's a mercenary - plain and simple. There is no loyalty to the game, a team or to the NHL for Jagr. He's all about the cash.

If you read his quotes this past year, you'd know he's here to add to his legacy/numbers.

WHITEY1 wrote:So if Bennett plays LW on Geno's line and after a week or 2 Jagr is still out there and says he will do the "Mario Discount" and will play 3rd line RW would you want him back for say $1,000,000/

lol, Jagr won't play anywhere at a discount. He'll head back to the KHL and make top coin there before playing for peanuts in the NHL. He's a mercenary - plain and simple. There is no loyalty to the game, a team or to the NHL for Jagr. He's all about the cash.

WHITEY1 wrote:So if Bennett plays LW on Geno's line and after a week or 2 Jagr is still out there and says he will do the "Mario Discount" and will play 3rd line RW would you want him back for say $1,000,000/

lol, Jagr won't play anywhere at a discount. He'll head back to the KHL and make top coin there before playing for peanuts in the NHL. He's a mercenary - plain and simple. There is no loyalty to the game, a team or to the NHL for Jagr. He's all about the cash.

WHITEY1 wrote:So if Bennett plays LW on Geno's line and after a week or 2 Jagr is still out there and says he will do the "Mario Discount" and will play 3rd line RW would you want him back for say $1,000,000/

lol, Jagr won't play anywhere at a discount. He'll head back to the KHL and make top coin there before playing for peanuts in the NHL. He's a mercenary - plain and simple. There is no loyalty to the game, a team or to the NHL for Jagr. He's all about the cash.

That's definitely not been his M.O. since returning... He could have made more in the KHL before he came back to the NHL, but I'd argue he's really seems to have enjoyed his role here and his return to the biggest hockey 'stage' in the world.